Democratic Bulgaria (DB) has called on the government to take five steps after new drone attacks on ships in the Black Sea off Bulgaria, the party said in a statement to the media. DB says Putin was not impressed by Radev and Yotova keeping a low profile before Russia.

This story follows our earlier report on Bozhidar Bozhanov telling journalists in parliament that, judging by indirect evidence, the ships hit by drones in the Black Sea were attacked by Russian military units.

Prime minister Rumen Radev called the new drone attacks on ships "absolutely unacceptable". He said three aerial drones hit one ship 18 miles east of Byala, and a second ship sank 17 miles east of Krapets, with one crew member rescued from it. The Security Council at the Council of Ministers has been called to an emergency meeting.

DB says the ship that was hit is Ukrainian, with a Ukrainian crew, and was very close to Bulgarian territorial waters. The party says it was clear that Russia is hitting ships off the Bulgarian coast. DB wrote that "the more you bow to Putin, the harder they hit you".

According to DB, Radev and Yotova did not dare tell Bulgarians the truth and said things were "50:50". The party says today's president is afraid to name Russia as the aggressor, and the government must "take its head out of the sand".

DB recalls the earlier meeting of the Consultative Council on National Security (KSNS), where, it says, the heads of the State Agency for National Security (DANS), Military Intelligence and the State Intelligence Agency (DAR) had no doubt that Russia was behind the attacks. One of the services reported partner intelligence pointing to Russia. Even then, DB had insisted that the ambassador should get a diplomatic note, and that Bulgaria should ask Russia to stop all attacks on merchant ships in the exclusive economic zone.

Now the party wants the Foreign Ministry to summon Russian ambassador Eleonora Mitrofanova for explanations and hand her a note. It says Bulgaria should demand firm guarantees from Russia that there will be no such attacks, and start urgent consultations in NATO. The prime minister and the heads of the services should be heard in parliament today.

DB also insists that Bulgaria ask NATO to deploy suitable air defence along the coast to protect the country.